I didn’t realise this was book 5 in a series when I started, but don’t feel I missed anything as a result. It was instantly evocative of Ireland and the people, I could visualise it even though I’ve never visited in person, which is to Carter’s credit. The characters were likeable and relatable, a decent amount of twisting turning plot, quite intricate mystery and interpersonal relationships… I did half spot the whodunnit, but it was so well told that I’d give this a solid 4 stars and I’ll be checking out Carter’s other books now!

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review. Apologies for this being way overdue, I hope the positive review and promise to buy the other books in the series helps make up for the delay!

There is another five books in the series, but they are standalone, so you don't miss any important details. The author paints such a beautiful picture with the landscape of the small village. Just sorry it is stained with a murder... Entertaining read, can't wait to read the other books in the series.

This book was everything I look for in a book. It was so exciting. The plot was fantastic. It really had me on the edge of my seat, and my heart racing. It was very well written and flowed well.

This was an enjoyable read. It's part of a series but works fine as a stand-alone read. It was a would mystery.

This book combines my two favourite things, crime and people.

It is a well written and thoroughly enjoyable easy read.

Will definitely read more from this author.

Atmospheric murder,mystery set mostly in windswept and rain sodden Ireland. Good characters,very descriptive,a good read.

I love a book that makes use of the elements, I have read quite a few this year that have been set in claustrophobic snowy conditions but I haven’t read one with torrential rain until now. Heavy rain scares me more than snow because heavy rain can cause flooding and as a non swimmer that terrifies me!

Returning to the idyllic town of Glendara after a six month stint at an American law firm, Ben O’Keefe is looking forward to returning home. She is looking forward to seeing all her friends, her cat and the man who asked her to marry him, Garda Sergeant Tom Malloy.

The town is busy, full of cyclists taking part in a charity cycle through the beautiful countryside, the pubs are full and the B & B’s are full, the cyclists are very welcome visitors to the area, little do they know that their stay is about to be extended.

The rain starts and continues to fall, it is heavy and persistent, the roads start to flood and the force of the water damages bridges and it also gives a mighty shock to a passing vet when a body slides down a remote banking and lands on her car.

The body is identified as the organiser of the race, Bob Jamieson, what was he doing out in that area in the dark on such a horrific night, was his death an accident or is someone to blame. It quickly becomes apparent that Bob was not the saint he was made out to be and the list of suspects gets longer and longer. The fact that the town is now marooned means that a killer is walking amongst them.

Will Ben and Molloy be able to find out the truth before the rain stops?

I did not for the life of me realise that this was a series, I was several chapters in before I realised that something had obviously gone down with a lot of these characters already, but I think this is a good thing as you could quite happily read this as a stand alone book. There is enough detail given to give you an idea of what has gone before. This is a cracking read in a stunning setting with a very likeable protagonist. There are enough suspects to stop you from guessing straight away too, anyone could be guilty.

Thanks to Net Galley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received this arc through net galley and the publishers.

I've read all the books in this series and loved catching up with Ben the female solicitor who seems to be the crime solver with her policeman boyfriend.

A good read which I raced through and I love the fact it is set in Ireland and the descriptions of the places featured.

An enjoyable read about life in an Irish village. There are some great characters and beautiful scenery.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Perfect for fans of Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series (with the picturesque Inishowen peninsula in County Donegal in place of North Norfolk). The characterisation is reliably good in this series, the sense of small town life well drawn, and if the mysteries are lacking in thrills... well, for me that's part of the charm. The Body Falls is probably my favourite of the Ben O'Keefe series so far, with the 2017 Inishowen floods playing an atmospheric role in the plot.

Having never read any of the other Inishowen Mysteries, I didn't know what to expect with "The Body Falls" by Andrea Carter. I needn't have worried as I didn't feel as if I was missing too much of a back story. The description of sunny America at the start is a stark contrast to the constant rain and floods of the main character's return to Ireland. The book really evoked the scenery - great descriptions of villages in Ireland, especially of the pub.

The only slight issue I had with the book was that the main character was not a detective but a solicitor but seemed to spend most of her time investigating the crime, with many people confiding in her. However since her boyfriend worked for the police, at least she was able to pass on relevant information.

Makes me want to visit Ireland again (despite the rain).

A Worthy Addition.....
Book five in the Inishowen Mysteries finds Ben returning from the Florida heat to the rain of Glendara, Inishowen. Amidst torrential weather conditions a body is discovered and, with the village cut off, it’s down to Sargeant Tom Malloy with Ben’s help to get to the root of the matter. Enjoyable, nicely plotted mystery with a credible cast. A worthy addition to the series.

Solicitor Ben(edicta) O’Keefe returns to Ireland after a six month stint in Sarasota, Florida. After visiting her parents (and there’s a mystery there just waiting to be solved ....) she drives back to her Donegal home. It’s biblically raining the archetypal cats and dogs which doesn't make driving easy. Once she reaches Glendara she’s astounded to find a charity bike race in preparation. This is eventually called off as the weather worsens and the competitors and their entourage have to start put. Events take a very dark turn when a body falls on to Ben’s friend Maeve’s Jeep, washed down from the hillside by torrential rain. This is the beginning of a tangled mystery that Ben and Garda Tom Molloy are eager to solve.

The rain plays a huge part in the novel and I find this all to easy to imagine after terrible flooding near where I live earliest this year. The fact they become cut off adds a good claustrophobic and damp atmosphere to the storytelling. It’s well written although I think the plot is a little uneven but it’s very colourful and has a lot of really good characters with the exception of the victim. It would seem there’s quite a queue of people who have reason to hate him which adds a great deal to the intriguing mystery. This deepens and become quite entangled and an interestingly convoluted web of deceit.

Overall, it’s an enjoyable easy read, I love the setting, the craic and there are some great characters and animals! I’m looking forward to the next instalment as it’s left on a good cliffhanger.

With thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group/Constable for the arc for an honest review.

Andrea Carter takes us back to Inishowen, the small town of Glendara, in Ireland with her latest in her solicitor Ben O'Keefe crime series. It begins with the end of a 6 month stint for Ben in the coastal Sarasota resort town in Florida, a sun soaked time, learning about and practicing elder law. It was in part a way to escape a personal dilemma that she was unsure how to react to, a marriage proposal that didn't feel right from Sergeant Tom Molloy, when they hadn't even been together. She arrives in Dublin, to spend a night with her parents, only to find a strange man, Stuart Chambers, staying with her parents which leaves her feeling worried and concerned. She returns to Glendara, only to find the place overrun by cyclists in colourful lycra getting prepared for a charity race starting the following day, and her locum solicitor replacement, Marina, far more haphazard in her working practices than she is.

A number of the cyclists and organisers are staying with Mary McCauley at her 10 bedroom bed and breakfast guest house. The sunshine of Florida is to become a distant memory for Ben as in sharp contrast, Inishowen comes to be pounded by merciless and relentless biblical rains that culminate in broken bridges and Glendara becoming completely cut off from the rest of the country. With people stranded and the cyclists unable to begin their race, the police, Molloy and McFadden, are under severe strain. Their pressures are exacerbated when mud landslides result in a body falling on vet Maeve's jeep at night. The body turns outs to be Bob Jameson, the head of the charity benefiting from the cycling fundraiser, and oddly, given there are no snakes in Ireland, he has been bitten by a snake on his hand and no post mortem can take place until the rains subside.

According to Derek, Bob's twin brother, and his wife, Amanda, Bob is a good man with no enemies, but how then did he end up being murdered? Molloy and Ben work the case together whilst organising help and support for the community in their hours of need. As they dig deep, it soon begins to emerge that the only mystery is that the odious Bob managed to live as long as he did and that whoever killed him deserves a medal. This is a series I have really enjoyed reading, although there is an unevenness in the narrative at times here, it is entertaining, with a host of local characters that are wonderful to catch up with, such as the bookseller, Phyllis Kettle. Ben and Molloy work through their issues to settle into a relationship that they have become comfortable with going public. A great read. Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.